Lemuel a



(No Model.)

L. A. CI-IIGHEfiTER.

CHAIR.

Patented (m. 20, 1885.

\ WIN/E8858 N PETERS Pnomumu m her, Wnihinglom n c.

Urnrnn Smarts Parana @rtrea LEMUEL A. OI-IIOHESTER, OF PHGENICIA, NEW YORK.

CHAIR.

FaPllCII-"IGATIQJN forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,838, dated October 20, 1885.

Application filed July 30, 1885. Serial No. 173,035, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEMUEL A. OHIoHns- TER, of Phoenicia, county of Ulster, and State of New York, a. citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Chairs; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention has for its object an improvement in folding chairs; and the invention consists in a folding chair with its several parts constructed and combined in the manner hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my chair; Fig. 2, an edge view of chair folded; Fig. 3, a plan or top View, partly in section; Fig. 4, a side elevation, partly in section.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates, especially, to that class of folding chairs in which, when it is folded, the seat will fit up closely against the back of the chair, and in that way reduce its bulk. Various devices have been constructed and applied to chairs of this character for the purpose of effecting this result; but it is believed that by my invention it is accomplished in a better manner and at less cost than by any heretofore devised...

Referring to the drawings, A represents the front legs of the chair continuous with the back posts, 13, and 0 represents the back legs of the chair. In the inner surface of each of the back legs, 0, are formed centrally and in he direction of their length, slots at, and pins b', fixed to the outer surface of the front legs, A, enter into these slots. The upper ends of the front legs, 0, are pivoted to the sides 0 of the seat-frame, the seat-frame being formed in any desirable manner. The rear 6 of the seat-frame is formed or has fixed to its ends 4 5 journals f, these journals entering into corresponding holes or bearings formed in the inner surface of the back legs, as shown in the drawings. The sides 0 of the seat-frame are formed of the shape shown in Figs. 1 and 3- that is, the sides, 0, of the seat recede for about one-half their length, so that the chair seat D is reduced in width correspondingly. This is an important feature of my inventionflwhen taken in connection with a reduction in the width of the back posts, which reduction commences at g, and extends upward throughout the length of the back posts, so that these back posts are of less width than the front legs, the front legs being especially wide at or near the place where the seat is pivoted to them and so be re-enforced at such places.

The result obtained from reducing the rear half of the chair-seat, as stated, and reducing the width of the back posts just described is this, when the seat is turned up to fold the chair, as indicated in Fig. 2, the reduced part of the chair-seat permits the back posts or that part of them which is not reduced in width to pass between the sides of the chair-seat and the back legs, 0, and so allow the chair-seat to lie snugly against and parallel with the back of the chair in its folded position, which, as is apparent, could not be effected if the chairseat was of the same width from end to end and the back posts not reduced.

In folding chairs with ordinary seats and back posts it has been found necessary to fix seat-pivots of a peculiar shape, so that when the seat is folded into the back the action of such pivots would throw the rear of the seat outward, and in that way permit the seat and back to lie together.

In my invention I have endeavored to reduce the number of parts to the fewest possible, and to arrange these in a very compact manner. The seat is permanently affixed to the front and back legs with only rotary movement thereon, and said seat, as shown, when folded up, lies parallel with and throughout its length close against the back. Now, I am aware that prior to my invention a chair has been made in which the front and rear legs are crossed and pivotally connected, the back posts of less width than the front legs and of continuous pieces therewith, and the seat pivoted directly to the front legs and engaging the rear legs bya guide-loop on its bottom and of less width behind than before, so that the scat may be folded up against the back; but when so folded the seat does not lie flat against and parallel with the back, but stands out angularly therefrom.

I am also aware of a chair-in which the front legs and back posts are of continuous pieces, seat, D,with its rear half of less width than its the seat of a less width behind than before, front half and secured directly to the front and and pivoted about centrally to the front legs, rear legs by fixed pivots, and said front legs I 5 and combined with slotted rear legs or slotted continuous with and of greater width than the 5 rear legs and rear braces or links; but I lay back post, B,to permit the seat to be folded up no claim to any such construction. parallel with said back post, substantially as Having now described my invention, what set forth. elaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters LEMUEL A OHIOHESTER atent, is- 10 In a folding chair, the combination of the In presence offront legs having pivots b and the rear legs, G, G. M. PLYMPTON, having slots a, engaged by said pivots, and a D. A. CARPENTER. 

